message for today
Bill Maurer
Thursday June 4 17:01:27 PDT 2020
Dear soc sci grad students, faculty, lecturers and staff,
This morning, the Associate Deans, the Faculty Chair (Evan Schofer,
representing the Senate) and I sent an email to all Spring instructors
encouraging even more flexibility with finals, including options like
"no harm" and optional finals. In case it was not clear, this applies
to graduate classes, too. Thank you all once again for your support of
our students.
I'll do a more complete media roundup tomorrow--our people have been
especially active contributors to the news this week--but wanted to
direct your attention to Prof. Sabrina Strings (Sociology) in Scientific
American and Prof. Davin Phoenix (Poli Sci) on KPCC. Thanks to you both
for getting your research insights into the public sphere!
I want to thank the Social Sciences Academic Resource Center for holding
a rap session tomorrow for our undergrads to share how they're feeling
and to lend their voices to advocacy. I'll be there! And I also want
to thank our academic advising staff and Helen Morgan for all of the
academic counseling support they've been providing to our undergrads.
Returning to campus, in a slow, deliberate, staged manner: Assistant
Dean Ávila emailed all the supervisors today to begin to gather data
to plan a smooth transition. But I want to reiterate: Social Sciences
will be returning to campus
s l o w l y
no matter what else you read or hear! Senate faculty may wish to attend
the town hall that the Senate just invited them to. But bear in mind,
even there, no matter what you hear from the assembled campus leaders,
Social Sciences is taking it slowly.
We are also getting signage, and, it's good thing you all did not take
my bet the other week: There are anteaters galore! We're also going to
be encouraging a culture in which if you feel sick, even just a little,
you stay home.
All for now, and please take care,
Bill
Peter, in lieu of Rufus....
OH OK! FINE. Rufus, too! Sheez. (He is not maintaining social distancing;
he is waiting for a treat)